The white jersey was introduced in 1968. Originally, it was given to the leader in the combination classification of the Tour de France. The combination classification was, as the name suggests, a combination of the other ranking systems for the tour: General, mountains, and points.

In 1975, the white jersey changed from the combination classification award to its current form, the Best Young Rider award. Before 1975, the competition was open to all racers, but with the change to Best Young Rider came a change in qualifications: only riders aged 25 years or less could compete for it. From 1983 to 1986, the jersey was available only to those riders who were racing in the tour for the first time, though the original system was restored in 1987.